US20230147255A1 - Articulated cushioning article with tensile component and method of manufacturing a cushioning article - Google Patents
Articulated cushioning article with tensile component and method of manufacturing a cushioning article Download PDFInfo
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- US20230147255A1 US20230147255A1 US18/092,674 US202318092674A US2023147255A1 US 20230147255 A1 US20230147255 A1 US 20230147255A1 US 202318092674 A US202318092674 A US 202318092674A US 2023147255 A1 US2023147255 A1 US 2023147255A1
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Images
Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
- A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
- A43B13/18—Resilient soles
- A43B13/20—Pneumatic soles filled with a compressible fluid, e.g. air, gas
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
- A43B13/02—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the material
- A43B13/04—Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
- A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
- A43B13/18—Resilient soles
- A43B13/181—Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
- A43B13/186—Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B9/00—Footwear characterised by the assembling of the individual parts
- A43B9/12—Stuck or cemented footwear
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
- B29D35/00—Producing footwear
- B29D35/12—Producing parts thereof, e.g. soles, heels, uppers, by a moulding technique
- B29D35/14—Multilayered parts
- B29D35/142—Soles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29K2023/00—Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
- B29K2023/04—Polymers of ethylene
- B29K2023/08—Copolymers of ethylene
- B29K2023/086—EVOH, i.e. ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29K2075/00—Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29K2995/00—Properties of moulding materials, reinforcements, fillers, preformed parts or moulds
- B29K2995/0037—Other properties
- B29K2995/0065—Permeability to gases
- B29K2995/0067—Permeability to gases non-permeable
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
- Buffer Packaging (AREA)
Abstract
A cushioning article includes a bladder enclosing an interior cavity and retaining a gas in the interior cavity. A tensile component is disposed in the interior cavity and includes tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers. The tensile layers are connected to an inner surface of the bladder such that the tethers span across the interior cavity. The bladder has an inwardly-protruding bond that joins an inner surface of the bladder to the tensile component, protrudes inward into the interior cavity, and partially traverses the plurality of tethers such that the bladder is narrowed at the inwardly protruding bond and the gas in the interior cavity fluidly communicates across the inwardly-protruding bond. A method of manufacturing a cushioning article is disclosed.
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/095,088 filed Nov. 11, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/982,731 filed May 17, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,863,792, issued Dec. 15, 2020, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/508,035 filed May 18, 2017, and each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- The present teachings generally include a cushioning article having an articulated tensile component, and a method of manufacturing the cushioning article with an inwardly-protruding bond.
- A cushioning article, such as a sole component of an article of footwear, is typically configured to provide cushioning, motion control, and/or resilience. Some cushioning articles utilize a sealed interior cavity filled with a gas that resiliently reacts a compressive load. A tensile component may be disposed in the interior cavity, and may limit the outward expansion of the cushioning article.
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FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration in plan view of a cushioning article in accordance with the present teachings. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration in bottom view of the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration in cross-sectional view of the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 , taken at lines 3-3 inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration in cross-sectional view of the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 , taken at lines 4-4 inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration in cross-sectional view of the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 , taken at lines 5-5 inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration in medial side view of the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration in medial side view of an article of footwear with a sole structure that includes the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 , indicated in hidden lines. -
FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration in exploded view of components of the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 prior to manufacturing the cushioning article. -
FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration in slightly perspective bottom view of a first mold insert used in a method of manufacturing the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration in exploded cross-sectional view of components of the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 and a mold used in manufacturing the cushioning article. -
FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the components of the cushioning article ofFIG. 1 in the mold ofFIG. 10 , with the mold in a closed position. -
FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective illustration of a mold portion for manufacturing an alternative cushioning component in accordance with an alternative aspect of the present teachings. -
FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective illustration of the mold portion ofFIG. 12 with a first mold insert secured to the mold portion. -
FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective illustration of a second mold insert for use with the mold portion ofFIG. 12 . -
FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration in plan view of a cushioning article in accordance with the present teachings. -
FIG. 16 is a schematic illustration in bottom view of the cushioning article ofFIG. 15 . -
FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration in cross-sectional view of the cushioning article ofFIG. 15 , taken at lines 17-17 inFIG. 15 . -
FIG. 18A is a schematic illustration in plan view of a sole structure configured for a left foot. -
FIG. 18B is a schematic illustration in plan view of a sole structure configured for a right foot. -
FIG. 19 is a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a cushioning article. - A cushioning article comprises a bladder enclosing an interior cavity and retaining a gas in the interior cavity. The cushioning article further comprises a tensile component disposed in the interior cavity. The tensile component includes tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers. The tensile layers are connected to an inner surface of the bladder such that the tethers span across the interior cavity. The bladder has an inwardly-protruding bond that joins an inner surface of the bladder to the tensile component, protrudes inward into the interior cavity, and partially traverses the plurality of tethers such that the bladder is narrowed at the inwardly protruding bond and the gas in the interior cavity fluidly communicates across the inwardly-protruding bond. Stated differently, the inwardly-protruding bond is directly outward of some of the tethers. The inwardly-protruding bond is spaced apart from the second polymeric sheet such that the interior cavity is narrowed at the inwardly-protruding bond and the gas in the interior cavity is able to fluidly communicate across the inwardly-protruding bond.
- In one or more embodiments, a portion of the interior cavity at a first side of the inwardly-protruding bond is in fluid communication with a portion of the interior cavity at a second side of the inwardly-protruding bond, the second side opposite of the first side. The gas in the interior cavity can thus be displaced across the inwardly-protruding bond, such as during a foot strike or foot roll of an article of footwear when the cushioning article is included in a sole structure.
- In one or more embodiments, an inflation pressure of the gas in the interior cavity is sufficient to tension the plurality of tethers, and the inwardly-protruding bond defines a groove at an outer surface of the bladder such that the cushioning article is divided into a first article portion on one side of the groove and a second article portion on the other side of the groove. The groove may function as a flex groove at which the cushioning article articulates. Accordingly, the consistency and responsiveness of tethers in returning the interior cavity to its original shape following a dynamic compressive load is combined with the flexibility of an articulated cushioning component, with articulation occurring in alignment with the tethers traversed by the inwardly-protruding bond.
- In one or more embodiments, the tensile layers include a first tensile layer spaced apart from a second tensile layer by a first distance at a location adjacent to the inwardly-protruding bond, and with the inwardly-protruding bond spaced apart from the second tensile layer by a second distance. The second distance may be between 50 percent and 80 percent of the first distance. Narrowing of the interior cavity by this ratio may provide an optimal range of articulation that contributes to flexibility of the cushioning article.
- Because the inwardly-protruding bond at least partially traverses the plurality of tethers, in one or more embodiments, the plurality of tethers includes tethers aligned with the inwardly-protruding bond and tethers displaced from the inwardly-protruding bond. The tethers aligned with the inwardly-protruding bond are shorter, thicker, or both shorter and thicker than the tethers displaced from the inwardly-protruding bond. The tethers are originally all of the same length and width prior to manufacturing the cushioning article and establishing the inwardly-protruding bond. The deformation of the tethers that occurs during manufacturing at the inwardly-protruding bond contributes to the articulation and flexibility of the cushioning article.
- In one or more embodiments, the bladder comprises a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet bonded to one another at a peripheral flange and enclosing the interior cavity. The tensile layers include a first tensile layer connected to the first polymeric sheet and a second tensile layer connected to the second polymeric sheet. The inwardly-protruding bond is spaced apart from the second polymeric sheet. The second polymeric sheet may be recessed inward toward the inwardly-protruding bond, across from the groove, when the interior cavity is inflated due to the tension of the tethers. Due to the groove, the first article portion is articulated relative to the second article portion along the groove. Accordingly, the outer surface of the first polymeric sheet at a first side of the inwardly-protruding bond may be non-planar with the outer surface of the first polymeric sheet at a second side of the inwardly-protruding bond, with the second side opposite of the first side.
- In one or more embodiments, the inwardly-protruding bond is a first inwardly-protruding bond, and the cushioning article further includes a second inwardly-protruding bond that joins the first polymeric sheet to the first tensile layer and protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet and partially traverses the tensile component. The second inwardly-protruding bond intersects the first inwardly-protruding bond and is spaced apart from the second polymeric sheet such that the interior cavity is narrowed at the second inwardly-protruding bond and the gas in the interior cavity fluidly communicates across the second inwardly-protruding bond.
- A first surface bond may join an inner surface of the first polymeric sheet to the first tensile layer, and a second surface bond may join an inner surface of the second polymeric sheet to the second tensile layer opposite the first tensile layer. The inwardly-protruding bond protrudes inward from the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet farther than the first surface bond.
- In one or more embodiments, the cushioning article is a sole component for an article of footwear, and the inwardly-protruding bond establishes a flexion axis of the sole component. Accordingly, the cushioning component may be articulated at the inwardly-protruding bond, and the flexion axes may be aligned with desired flexion regions of a foot, for example, such as the metatarsal-phalangeal joints.
- The cushioning article may include multiple inwardly-protruding bonds arranged in a symmetrical manner, which is beneficial for enabling the use of identically-configured cushioning articles in both right foot and left foot articles of footwear with the bonds (and, therefore, the flex grooves) at a proximal side of the bladder in both instances. For example, the inwardly-protruding bond may be one of a plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds protruding inward from a proximal side of the bladder that are arranged in a symmetrical pattern about an axis of symmetry of the bladder. The plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds may include a first set of bonds and a second set of bonds spaced apart from one another and having parallel segments. The first set and the second set establish articulation axes when the cushioning article bends along an axis that is disposed at a first angle counterclockwise from the axis of symmetry. The plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds may further include a third set of bonds and a fourth set of bonds spaced apart from one another and having parallel segments. The third set and the fourth set establish articulation when the cushioning article bends along an axis that is disposed at the first angle clockwise from the axis of symmetry.
- In one or more embodiments, the plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds may include a first central bond extending across the axis of symmetry, a pair of symmetrical forward-angled bonds extending from a first end and a second end of the first central bond, and a pair of symmetrical rearward-angled bonds extending from the first end and the second end of the first central bond. The plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds may further include a second central bond extending across the axis of symmetry and spaced from the first central bond, a pair of symmetrical forward-angled bonds extending from a first end and a second end of the second central bond, and a pair of symmetrical rearward-angled bonds extending from the first end and the second end of the second central bond.
- The cushioning article may articulate at first and second flexion axes when the cushioning article bends along an axis disposed at the first angle counterclockwise from the axis of symmetry, and may articulate at third and fourth flexion axes when the cushioning article bends along an axis disposed at the first angle clockwise from the axis of symmetry. The first and second flexion axes extend along the first central bond and the second central bond, respectively, the forward-angled bonds extend from the first ends of the first and second central bonds, and the rearward-angled bonds extend from the second ends of the first and second central bonds. The third and fourth flexion axes extend along the first central bond and the second central bond, respectively, the forward-angled bonds extending from the second ends of the first and second central bonds, and the rearward-angled bonds extending from the first ends of the first and second central bonds.
- A method of manufacturing a cushioning article comprises conforming a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet to components of a mold. For example, conforming the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet to components of the mold may be by vacuum, compression, or both. Conforming the first and second polymeric sheets in this manner depresses the first polymeric sheet toward the second polymeric sheet at one or more protrusions of one of the components of the mold. A tensile component is disposed between the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet. The tensile component includes a first tensile layer positioned adjacent the first polymeric sheet, a second tensile layer positioned adjacent the second polymeric sheet, and a plurality of tethers connecting the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer. The protrusion may be directly outward of the plurality of tethers. Conforming the first and second polymeric sheets according to the method produces an inwardly-protruding bond at the protrusion that joins the first polymeric sheet and the first tensile layer and partially traverses the plurality of tethers. The inwardly-protruding bond protrudes toward the second polymeric sheet but is spaced apart from the second tensile layer and the second polymeric sheet.
- In one or more embodiments, the method comprises thermally bonding the first tensile layer to the first polymeric sheet and the second tensile layer to the second polymeric sheet opposite the first tensile layer. The thermal bonding may include at least one of heating the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet prior to disposing the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet in the mold cavity, radio frequency welding, or heating the mold.
- In one or more embodiments, the method may further comprise bonding the first polymeric sheet to the second polymeric sheet at a peripheral bond such that the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet define a bladder at least partially enclosing an interior cavity containing the tensile component. The plurality of tethers span across the interior cavity from the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer, the inwardly-protruding bond protrudes inward, and the interior cavity is narrowed at the inwardly-protruding bond.
- In one or more embodiments, the method may further comprise inflating and sealing the interior cavity. Inflating the interior cavity tensions the plurality of tethers and creates a groove in an outer surface of the first polymeric sheet at the inwardly-protruding bond at which the cushioning article articulates. In one or more embodiments, the cushioning article is a sole component for an article of footwear and the groove establishes a flexion axis of the sole component.
- In one or more embodiments, the inwardly-protruding bond is one of a plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds on a proximal side of the cushioning article arranged in a symmetrical pattern about an axis of symmetry of the bladder. The method further includes securing the cushioning article (referred to as a first cushioning article) to a first sole structure configured for a right foot with the axis of symmetry of the first cushioning article rotated at a first angle in a direction that is either clockwise or counterclockwise relative to a longitudinal axis of the first sole structure, and securing an identically-configured second cushioning article to a second sole structure configured for a left foot with the axis of symmetry of the second cushioning article rotated at the first angle in a direction that is an opposite one of clockwise or counterclockwise than the first cushioning article relative to a longitudinal axis of the second sole structure. The first and second sole structures are mirror images of one another. In this arrangement, one set of the flexion axes will be correctly aligned with the joints of the right foot, and another set of the flexion axes will be correctly aligned with the joints of the left foot. Accordingly, the symmetrical pattern of the plurality of inwardly-protruding bonds is specifically designed to allow identical cushioning components to be used in both sole structures having right foot configurations and sole structures having left foot configurations.
- In one or more embodiments, the components of the mold include a first mold portion and a second mold portion, at least one of the first mold portion and the second mold portion is translatable relative to the other of the first mold portion and the second mold portion between an open position and a closed position. Bonding the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet at the peripheral bond includes compressing the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet between the first mold portion and the second mold portion in the closed position.
- In one or more embodiments of the method, prior to conforming the first polymeric sheet and the second polymeric sheet to components of the mold, the method may comprise securing a mold insert to a first mold portion of the mold. The mold component having the protrusion may be the mold insert. This enables the bond pattern of the cushioning articles manufactured according to the method to be easily changed by changing the mold insert to a different mold insert that has a different pattern of protrusions. For example, in one or more embodiments, the mold insert is a first mold insert, the cushioning article is a first cushioning article, and the method further comprises manufacturing a second cushioning article by removing the first mold insert from the first mold portion, and securing a second mold insert having a second protrusion to the first mold portion, wherein the second protrusion is shaped or dimensioned differently than the first protrusion. A subsequent first polymeric sheet and a subsequent second polymeric sheet are then conformed to the second mold insert and to another one of the mold components, respectively, with a subsequent tensile component between the subsequent first polymeric sheet and the subsequent second polymeric sheet. This conforming of the subsequent first polymeric sheet and the subsequent second polymeric sheet depresses the subsequent first polymeric sheet toward the subsequent second polymeric sheet at the second protrusion, with the second protrusion directly outward of the subsequent tensile component. A second inwardly-protruding bond is thereby produced at the second protrusion, and partially traverses the subsequent tensile component. The mold thus provides the second cushioning article with a different bond pattern than the first cushioning article due to the second mold insert.
- The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the modes for carrying out the present teachings when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
- Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like components throughout the views,
FIG. 1 shows acushioning article 10 that may be manufactured according to amethod 210 ofFIG. 19 and has features that provide a desirable combination of cushioning and flexibility. Thecushioning article 10 is shown and described as a cushioning article used in asole structure 12 of an article offootwear 14, shown inFIG. 7 . For example, thecushioning article 10 is shown at least partially encased in afoam sole layer 11, and together the cushioningarticle 10 andsole layer 11 serve as a midsole of thesole structure 12. An outsole, an insole, and other sole components may also be included in thesole structure 12. Thecushioning article 10 is thus a sole component. However, thecushioning article 10, thecushioning article 110 discussed herein, or other cushioning articles manufactured according to themethod 210 may be used in other articles, such as athletic apparel, sports equipment, furniture, and floor mats. For example, thecushioning article - The
cushioning article 10 includes abladder 13 formed from afirst polymeric sheet 16 and asecond polymeric sheet 18 bonded to one another at aperipheral bond 20 located along aperipheral flange 21 to enclose aninterior cavity 22. When thesheets peripheral bond 20 and any inflation port is sealed, thebladder 13 retains a fluid in theinterior cavity 22. As used herein, a “fluid” filling theinterior cavity 22 may be a gas, such as air, nitrogen, another gas, or a combination thereof. The first andsecond polymeric sheets second polymeric sheets second polymeric sheets second polymeric sheets second polymeric sheets second polymeric sheets cushioning article 10, engineering properties such as tensile strength, stretch properties, fatigue characteristics, dynamic modulus, and loss tangent can be considered. For example, the thicknesses of the first andsecond polymeric sheets cushioning article 10 can be selected to provide these characteristics. - As best shown in
FIG. 3 , thecushioning article 10 includes atensile component 30 disposed in theinterior cavity 22. Thetensile component 30 includes a firsttensile layer 32, a secondtensile layer 34, and a plurality oftethers 36 spanning theinterior cavity 22 from the firsttensile layer 32 to the secondtensile layer 34. Thetethers 36 connect the firsttensile layer 32 to the secondtensile layer 34. Only some of thetethers 36 are indicated with reference numbers inFIG. 3 . The tethers may also be referred to as fabric tensile members or threads, and may be in the form of drop threads that connect the firsttensile layer 32 and the secondtensile layer 34. Thetensile component 30 may be formed as a unitary, one-piece textile element having a spacer-knit textile. - The first
tensile layer 32 is bonded to an inner surface 42 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16, and the secondtensile layer 34 is bonded to an inner surface 46 of thesecond polymeric sheet 18. More specifically, afirst surface bond 40 joins the inner surface 42 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 to the outer surface of the firsttensile layer 32. Asecond surface bond 44 joins the inner surface 46 of thesecond polymeric sheet 18 to the outer surface of the secondtensile layer 34, opposite the firsttensile layer 32. In one or more embodiments, no anti-weld material is used on the inner surface 42 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 or the outer surface of the firsttensile layer 32, or on the inner surface 46 of thesecond polymeric sheet 18 or the outer surface of the secondtensile layer 34, as entire interfacing portions of theses surfaces are bonded to one another. - The
tethers 36 restrain separation of the first andsecond polymeric sheets FIG. 3 under a given inflation pressure of gas in theinterior cavity 22. The outward force of pressurized gas in theinterior cavity 22 places thetethers 36 in tension, and thetethers 36 prevent thetensile layers polymeric sheets tethers 36 do not present resistance to compression when under a compressive load. When pressure is exerted on thecushioning article 10 such as due to a force of a dynamic impact of a wearer during running or other movements, thecushioning article 10 is compressed, and thepolymeric sheets tethers 36 collapsing (i.e., going slack) in proportion to the pressure exerted on the first andsecond polymeric sheets particular tethers 36. - Prior to bonding to the first and
second polymeric sheets method 210 disclosed herein, thetethers 36 of thetensile component 30 may all be initial lengths, and possibly all substantially the same length, and the first and secondtensile layers tethers 36 may have generally flatouter surfaces tethers 36 as shown inFIG. 10 . InFIG. 8 , thetethers 36 are represented in a slackened state as thetensile component 30 is not within a sealed interior cavity and is not subjected to tension inFIG. 8 . InFIG. 10 , thetethers 36 are also represented in a slackened state asFIG. 10 represents thetensile component 30 prior to securement within a sealed, pressurizedinterior cavity 22. - Under the
method 210 provided herein, although thetethers 36 are originally of the same length and theouter surfaces tensile layers outer surfaces second polymeric sheets cushioning article 10, the method of manufacturing 210 produces an inwardly-protrudingbond 50 that joins thefirst polymeric sheet 16 to the firsttensile layer 32 and protrudes from thefirst polymeric sheet 16 toward thesecond polymeric sheet 18 directly into a region of the cavity occupied by some of thetethers 36. In fact, inFIG. 3 , there are multiple inwardly-protrudingbonds 50. Eachbond 50 protrudes farther toward thesecond polymeric sheet 18 than thefirst surface bond 40. - Each
bond 50 results from arespective protrusion 51 of amold component 53 that contacts thefirst polymeric sheet 16 during the method of manufacturing 210 disclosed herein.FIG. 9 shows arepresentative mold component 53 having theprotrusions 51 in a first pattern that result in thebond pattern 55A of inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 of thecushioning article 10 shown inFIG. 1 . Themold component 53 is a mold insert, and may also be referred to as such, or may be referred to as a shim. Thebonds 50 are indicated with hidden lines in the top view ofFIG. 1 as they protrude inward from theouter surface 49 shown. - The
bonds 50 result indepressed grooves 52 at theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16. Only some of thebonds 50 and some of thegrooves 52 are indicated inFIG. 1 for clarity. In the embodiment shown, the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 are only at thefirst polymeric sheet 16. In other embodiments, the method of manufacturing 210 may provide inwardly-protruding bonds at thesecond polymeric sheet 18 as an alternative to or in addition to the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 at thefirst polymeric sheet 16. Theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 may be the proximal side of the bladder 13 (i.e., the side closest to the foot) when assembled in asole structure 12, and theouter surface 57 of thesecond polymeric sheet 18 may be the distal side of the cushioning article 10 (i.e., the ground-facing side of the bladder 13) as indicated inFIG. 7 . As shown inFIG. 1 , thebladder 13 is not symmetrical and is for use in a sole structure configured for a left foot. Stated differently, the shape of thebladder 13 generally follows the shape of a forefoot portion of a left foot. Additionally, the articulation due to thebonds 50 andgrooves 52 as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7 is best achieved with thefirst polymeric sheet 16 on the proximal side. Nevertheless, if flipped so that thesecond sheet 18 is the proximal side, thecushioning article 10 could be used in a sole structure configured for a right foot. - Each inwardly-protruding
bond 50 partially traverses the plurality oftethers 36 as shown inFIG. 3 . Stated differently, thebonds 50 are directly outward of different ones of thetethers 36 and protrude inward on thosetethers 36. Thetethers 36 may be arranged in rows, with each row extending transversely between thetensile layers tethers 36 extend between thetensile layers tethers 36 are aligned with thebonds 50. An inwardly-protrudingbond 50 may traverse different rows of thetethers 36 such that different tethers from different rows are aligned with an inwardly-protrudingbond 50, or an inwardly-protrudingbond 50 may be directly aligned with a single row. Some of the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 could be between rows of tethers. - With reference to
FIG. 3 , the plurality oftethers 36 includestethers 36A aligned with the inwardly-protrudingbond 50 and tethers 36B displaced from the inwardly-protrudingbond 50.Tethers 36A that are aligned with an inwardly-protrudingbond 50 are deformed by heat, by compression of the overlaying of material of the firsttensile layer 32, and/or by the overlaying material of the firsttensile layer 32 coating thetethers 36A such that thetethers 36A are shorter, thicker, or both shorter and thicker at the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 than elsewhere. Such tethers are indicated withreference numeral 36A inFIG. 3 and may be referred to as modifiedtethers 36A. However, references totethers 36 herein includetethers 36A and tethers 36B unless otherwise specified. - When the
interior cavity 22 is inflated, the modifiedtethers 36A result indepressed grooves 52 in theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 as indicated inFIGS. 1 and 3 . When an inflation pressure of the gas in theinterior cavity 22 is sufficient to tension the plurality oftethers 36, the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 definegrooves 52 at theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16. At eachgroove 52, thecushioning article 10 is divided into what may be referred to as afirst article portion 61 on one side of thegroove 52 and asecond article portion 62 on the other side of thegroove 52, as indicated inFIG. 4 . Thefirst article portion 61 is articulated relative to thesecond article portion 62 along thegroove 52. Stated differently, theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 at a first side of the inwardly-protruding bond 50 (the first side indicated inFIG. 4 asportion 49A of outer surface 49) is non-planar with theouter surface 49 of the first polymeric sheet at a second side of the inwardly-protruding bond 50 (the second side indicated inFIG. 4 asportion 49B of outer surface 49), the second side opposite of the first side. - The tension of the modified
tethers 36A also causesrecesses 56 in theouter surface 57 of thesecond polymeric sheet 18. Thesecond polymeric sheet 18 is recessed inward toward a correspondinggroove 52 and inwardly-protrudingbond 50 at eachrecess 56 when theinterior cavity 22 is inflated. - The physical deformation of the
first polymeric sheet 16 and the firsttensile layer 32 combined with the tension of the modifiedtethers 36A will cause thegrooves 52 to be deeper than therecesses 56, which result only from the tension of the shortened modifiedtethers 36A. Accordingly, thecushioning article 10 may have an articulated shape, such as when not under loading at thegrooves 52, as shown inFIG. 6 . Additionally, thegrooves 52 and recesses 56 together encourage articulation (i.e., flexion) of thecushioning article 10 to occur at thegrooves 52, as the overall thickness of thecushioning article 10 is reduced at thegrooves 52, decreasing bending stiffness of the cushioning article at thegrooves 52. - The
grooves 52 thus act as flexion axes of thecushioning article 10. For example, where thecushioning article 10 is included in thesole structure 12 of the article offootwear 14 inFIG. 7 , the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 and resultinggrooves 52 may establish flexion axes F1, F2, F3, F4 of thesole structure 12, with the flexion axes aligned with joints of the foot, such as the metatarsal phalangeal joints, thereby increasing flexibility of thesole structure 12. The flexion axes F1, F2, F3, F4 are indicated inFIGS. 1 and 6 . Additional flexion axes F5 and F6 are created by thebonds 50 andgrooves 52 that run generally longitudinally. Flexion axes F5 and F6 increase transverse (i.e. lateral) flexibility of thecushioning article 10. - Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 4 , each inwardly-protrudingbond 50 is spaced apart from thesecond polymeric sheet 18 such that theinterior cavity 22 is narrowed but not closed at the inwardly-protrudingbond 50, and the gas in theinterior cavity 22 can still fluidly communicate across the inwardly-protrudingbond 50. The firsttensile layer 32 is spaced apart from the secondtensile layer 34 by a first distance D1 at a location adjacent to the inwardly-protrudingbond 50, and the inwardly-protrudingbond 50 is spaced apart from the secondtensile layer 34 by a second distance D2. The first distance D1 may be the distance between thetensile layers tethers 36 that are not the modifiedtethers 36A. The second distance D2 may be the minimum distance between the inwardly-protrudingbond 50 and the second tensile layer 34 (i.e., the distance at the most narrowed portion of theinterior cavity 22 under the bond 50). In an embodiment, the method of manufacturing 210 may be controlled so that the second distance D2 is between 50 percent and 80 percent of the first distance D1. Bonds in this range of depth may create the most desirable amount of articulation for flexion, while maintaining fluid communication within the bladder 13 (i.e., not creating closed sub-chambers in the bladder). For example, factors that may influence thebond 50 and the extent of its protrusion toward thesecond polymeric sheet 18 can be controlled to provide this desired ratio of the second distance D2 to the first distance D1. Such factors may include the depth of theprotrusion 51 that creates thebond 50, the temperature of themold insert 53 or other mold components, the temperature of the components of thecushioning article 10, vacuum and/or inflation pressures in the mold cavity during manufacturing, the power of weld frequency if radio frequency welding is used, and other factors. - Accordingly, a portion 22A of the
interior cavity 22 at a first side of the inwardly-protrudingbond 50 is in fluid communication with a portion 22B of theinterior cavity 22 at a second side of the inwardly-protrudingbond 50, the second side opposite of the first side, as indicated inFIG. 4 . The modified tethers 36A shown extending under thebond 50 between the two portions 22A, 22B are narrow in diameter and allow gas to flow around and between thetethers 36A from the portion 22A to the portion 22B and vice versa. This allows the gas to be displaced from the portion 22A to the portion 22B and from portion 22B to portion 22A when compressive forces are applied to thecushioning article 10, such as during impact of the article offootwear 14 with the ground G inFIG. 7 . For example, as a foot rolls forward from heel to toe during a foot strike, the gas may be displaced from rearward in thecushioning article 10 to a portion more forward in thecushioning article 10. Supportive cushioning provided by theinterior cavity 22 can thus be provided in areas most needed during use of thecushioning article 10. - In
FIG. 3 , thebond 50 labelled 50A may be referred to as a first inwardly-protruding bond, and thebond 50 labelled 50B may be referred to as a second inwardly-protruding bond. Like bond 50A, the bond 50B joins thefirst polymeric sheet 16 to the firsttensile layer 32, protrudes inward from thefirst polymeric sheet 16 toward thesecond polymeric sheet 18, and at least partially traverses thetethers 36A of thetensile component 30. As is evident fromFIGS. 1, 3, and 4 taken together, the second inwardly-protruding bond 50B intersects the first inwardly-protruding bond 50A at the cross-section ofFIG. 5 , and is spaced apart from thesecond polymeric sheet 18 such that theinterior cavity 22 is narrowed but not closed at the second inwardly-protruding bond 50B. Accordingly, the gas in theinterior cavity 22 fluidly communicates across the second inwardly-protruding bond 50B. -
FIG. 10 shows the components of thecushioning article 10 in an exploded view and positioned between components of amold 66. More specifically, the mold components ofmold 66 include afirst mold portion 66A, asecond mold portion 66B, and themold insert 53.FIG. 11 shows the components of thecushioning article 10 in amold cavity 68 of themold 66 defined by the mold components with themold 66 in a closed position. -
FIGS. 15 and 16 show an alternative embodiment of acushioning article 110 that has many of the same features as thecushioning article 10 which are indicated with like reference numerals. For example, first andsecond polymeric sheets peripheral bond 20 to form abladder 113 enclosing aninterior cavity 22 and retaining a gas in the interior cavity. Thetensile component 30 is disposed in theinterior cavity 22 and is as secured to the inner surfaces of thepolymeric sheets FIG. 17 and as described with respect to thecushioning article 10. As shown inFIG. 15 , theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 is the proximal side of thebladder 113 when used in a sole structure such assole structure 12 ofFIG. 7 , and theouter surface 57 of thesecond polymeric sheet 18 is the distal side. This enables thedeeper grooves 52 of the cushioning article 110 (i.e., deeper than the recesses 56) and the tendency to flex at thegrooves 52 in the manner shown inFIG. 7 to be matched to the movement of a foot in dorsiflexion. - In contrast to the
cushioning article 10 and thebladder 13, thecushioning article 110 and thebladder 113 are symmetrical in overall shape at the outer perimeter (i.e., at the peripheral bond 20), and the plurality of inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 are arranged on the proximal side of thebladder 113 in asymmetrical pattern 155A about an axis ofsymmetry 115 of thebladder 113. Corresponding recesses 56 at the distal side shown inFIG. 16 are also arranged in a symmetrical pattern about the axis ofsymmetry 115. Only some of therecesses 56 are labeled inFIG. 16 . As discussed with respect toFIGS. 18A and 18B , thesymmetrical pattern 155A of thebonds 50 enables thecushioning article 110 to be used in a sole structure configured for a right foot or a sole structure configured for a left foot without any difference in underfoot feel to the wearer. - The plurality of inwardly-protruding
bonds 50 of thebladder 113 are labelled with alphanumeric identifiers (e.g., 50C1, etc.) in order to differentiate thebonds 50 for purposes of discussion. Thebonds 50 includes a firstcentral bond 50H extending across the axis ofsymmetry 115, and a secondcentral bond 50L also extending across the axis ofsymmetry 115 and disposed generally parallel to and spaced from the firstcentral bond 50H. Each of thecentral bonds symmetry 115. Thebonds 50 also include symmetrical pairs of bonds, such as: bonds 50C1 and 50C2; bonds 50D1 and 50D2; bonds 50E1 and 50E2; bonds 50F1 and 50F2; bonds 50G1 and 50G2; bonds 50I1 and 50I2, bonds 50J1 and 50J2; bond 50K1 and 50K2; bonds 50M1 and 50M2; and bonds 50N1 and 50N1. - The
bonds 50 include a first set of bonds 50G1, 50H, 50F2, and a second set of bonds 50K1, 50L, 50J2 spaced apart from one another and having parallel segments. For example, bonds 50G1 and 50K1 are segments that are parallel with one another, and bonds 50F2, 50J2 are also segments that are parallel with one another. The first set of bonds 50G1, 50H, 50F2 establishes a first articulation axis A1, and the second set of bonds 50K1, 50L, 50J2 establish a second articulation axis A2. Both axes A1 and A2 act as flexion axes for example when thecushioning article 110 bends in dorsiflexion along an axis atangle 117B (i.e., counterclockwise) relative to the first axis ofsymmetry 115. In thebladder 113 is rotated to this orientation, the axes A1, A2 would be generally perpendicular to the original position of the axis ofsymmetry 115 shown inFIG. 15 . - The
bonds 50 also include a third set of bonds 50F1, 50H, 50G2 and a fourth set of bonds 50J1, 50L, 50K2 spaced apart from the third set of bonds and having parallel segments. For example, bonds 50G2 and 50K2 are parallel segments, and bonds 50F1, 50J1 are also parallel segments. The third set of bonds 50F1, 50H, 50G2 establishes a third articulation axis A3 and the fourth set of bonds 50J1, 50L, 50K2 establishes a fourth articulation axis A4. Both axes A3 and A4 act as flexion axes, for example, when thecushioning article 110 bends in dorsiflexion along an axis atangle 117A relative to the axis ofsymmetry 115 having the same numerical value asangle 117B but a different direction (i.e. clockwise) relative to the axis of symmetry 115). If thebladder 113 is rotated to this orientation, the axes A3, A4 would be generally perpendicular to the original position of the axis ofsymmetry 115 shown inFIG. 15 . - As shown in
FIG. 15 , thebonds 50 include the firstcentral bond 50H extending across the axis ofsymmetry 115, and a pair of symmetrical forward-angled bonds 50F1, 50F2 extending from afirst end 118 and asecond end 119, respectively of the firstcentral bond 50H. Thebonds 50 also include a pair of symmetrical rearward-angled bonds 50G1, 50G2 extending from thefirst end 118 and thesecond end 119, respectively, of the firstcentral bond 50H. - The
bonds 50 further include the secondcentral bond 50L extending across the axis ofsymmetry 115 and spaced from the firstcentral bond 50H, and a pair of symmetrical forward-angled bonds 50J1, 50J2 extending from afirst end 120 and asecond end 121, respectively, of the secondcentral bond 50L. Thebonds 50 also include a pair of symmetrical rearward-angled bonds 50K1, 50K2 extending from thefirst end 120 and thesecond end 121, respectively, of the secondcentral bond 50L. - The
cushioning article 110 articulates at first and second flexion axes A1, A2 when thecushioning article 110 bends along an axis disposed at thefirst angle 117B counterclockwise from the axis ofsymmetry 115, and articulates at third and fourth flexion axes A3, A4 when thecushioning article 110 bends along an axis disposed at thefirst angle 117A clockwise from the axis ofsymmetry 115. Accordingly, with reference to FIGA. 18A and 18B, cushioningarticles cushioning article 110 and to each other except for their orientation relative to the respectivesole structures cushioning article 110A in asole structure 12R configured for a right foot in a position in which thecushioning article 110A is rotated clockwise by thefirst angle 117B relative to a longitudinal bending axis LA of asole structure 12R, thecushioning article 110A will articulate (i.e., flex) along the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 when the right foot dorsiflexes. By securing thecushioning article 110B in asole structure 12L configured for a left foot in a position in which thecushioning article 110B is rotated counterclockwise by thefirst angle 117A relative to a longitudinal bending axis LA of asole structure 12L, thecushioning article 110B will articulate along the third axis A3 and the fourth axis A4 when the left foot dorsiflexes. Alternatively, thecushioning article 110A can be rotated counterclockwise when secured to the right footsole structure 12R and thecushioning article 110B can be rotated clockwise when secured to the left footsole structure 12L in which case thecushioning article 110A of the right footsole structure 12R will articulate along flexion axes A3 and A4, and thecushioning article 110B of the left footsole structure 12L will articulate along the flexion axes A1 and A2 during dorsiflexion of the respective right foot and left foot. In this manner, economies of scale can be achieved in manufacturing by using identically configuredcushioning articles 110 in both right foot articles of footwear and left foot articles of footwear. - A
method 210 of manufacturing a cushioning article, such ascushioning article 10, is shown in the flow chart ofFIG. 19 , and is described with reference toFIGS. 10 and 11 . Themethod 210 may begin withblock 212, securing afirst mold insert 53 with a first protrusion pattern to thefirst mold portion 66A. For example, thefirst mold insert 53 hasopenings 70 that receivefasteners 72. Thefasteners 72 extend intoopenings 74 in thefirst mold portion 66A to secure thefirst mold insert 53 to thefirst mold portion 66A. Theopenings 74 are in arecess 75 of thefirst mold portion 66A, and theinsert 53 fits within therecess 75 so that thesurface 76 is flush withadjacent surfaces 78 of thefirst mold portion 66A. Theopenings fasteners 72 may be threaded, for example. When disposed as set forth inblock 212, themold insert 53 is therefore in and partially defines themold cavity 68. - Next, in
block 214, prior to disposing the components of thecushioning article 10 into theopen mold cavity 68, the components of thecushioning article 10, the mold components, or both, may be pre-heated to help expedite the subsequent thermoforming that occurs via the combinedblocks method 210 in which the mold component having the protrusion that creates the inwardly-protruding bond is one of themold portions mold insert 53, themethod 210 may instead begin withblock 214. - In block 216, the first and
second polymeric sheets tensile component 30 are then disposed in themold cavity 68, with the firsttensile layer 32 positioned adjacent thefirst polymeric sheet 16, the secondtensile layer 34 positioned adjacent thesecond polymeric sheet 18, and the plurality oftethers 36 connecting the first tensile layer to the second tensile layer. Block 216 may comprise placing first andsecond polymeric sheets tensile component 30 between theopen mold portions cushioning article 10 in alignment with one another and with themold components FIG. 10 . In an embodiment, one or both of the first andsecond polymeric sheets tensile layers tensile component 30 when placed in themold cavity 68, such as by lamination or by the use of adhesive. In such an embodiment, block 220 is not necessary. If only one of the first andsecond polymeric sheets tensile layer mold cavity 68 and thermoforming, the completedcushioning article 10 will tend to curl along its longitudinal axis toward the side that is not pre-laminated. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 10 , the first andsecond polymeric sheets tensile component 30 when disposed in themold cavity 68. Once the components of thecushioning article 10 are positioned, one or both of themold components mold cavity 68. - Next, in
block 218, thefirst polymeric sheet 16 and thesecond polymeric sheet 18 are conformed to components of themold 66, as shown inFIG. 11 . For example, theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 is conformed to thesurface 76 of themold insert 53. Thesurface 76 includes theprotrusions 51. Portions of theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 are conformed directly to themold surface 78 of thefirst mold portion 66A adjacent to themold insert 53. Conforming of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 to thesurface 76, including theprotrusions 51, in this manner depresses thefirst polymeric sheet 16 toward thesecond polymeric sheet 18 at theprotrusions 51, with theprotrusions 51 directly outward of some of the plurality oftethers 36. Inblock 218, theouter surface 57 of thesecond polymeric sheet 18 is also conformed to themold surface 80 of thesecond mold component 66B, as indicated inFIG. 11 . Conforming thepolymeric sheets surfaces mold cavity 68 to pull thesheets surfaces polymeric sheets surfaces mold cavity 68, thereby compressing thepolymeric sheets surfaces - After or contemporaneously with the first and
second polymeric sheets surfaces block 218, the firsttensile layer 32 may be thermally bonded to thefirst polymeric sheet 16 and the secondtensile layer 34 may be thermally bonded to thesecond polymeric sheet 18 opposite the firsttensile layer 32 inblock 220. The heating of thepolymeric sheets tensile layers mold components mold cavity 68 enables the thermal bonding at thesurface bonds bonds 50. When the components are cooled, thebonds block 218 and thermally bonding inblock 220 may be referred to as thermoforming, and produces the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 at theprotrusions 51 that join thefirst polymeric sheet 16 and the firsttensile layer 32 and partially traverse the plurality oftethers 36, with the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 protruding toward thesecond polymeric sheet 18 but remaining spaced apart from the secondtensile layer 34 and thesecond polymeric sheet 18 as described with respect toFIG. 3 . - The thermal bonding of
block 220 may include heating thefirst polymeric sheet 16 and thesecond polymeric sheet 18 prior to disposing thefirst polymeric sheet 16 and thesecond polymeric sheet 18 in themold cavity 68. Alternatively or in addition, the thermal bonding may include heating one or more of themold components mold 66. - Following
block 220 or contemporaneously withblock 220, themethod 210 may include block 222, bonding thefirst polymeric sheet 16 to thesecond polymeric sheet 18 at theperipheral bond 20 such that thefirst polymeric sheet 16 and thesecond polymeric sheet 18 at least partially enclose theinterior cavity 22 containing thetensile component 30. For example, bonding thefirst polymeric sheet 16 and thesecond polymeric sheet 18 at theperipheral bond 20 inblock 222 may include compressing thefirst polymeric sheet 16 and thesecond polymeric sheet 18 between thefirst mold portion 66A and thesecond mold portion 66B in the closed position, as shown inFIG. 11 . A small portion of the periphery of the first andsecond polymeric sheets inflation port 82 molded into the sheets inblocks - After
block 222, themold cavity 68 may be opened inblock 224 by translating one or both of themold portions cushioning article 10 can then be removed from themold cavity 68 inblock 226. - In
block 228, theinterior cavity 22 can be inflated to a desired inflation pressure, such as through theinflation port 82 ofFIG. 1 . For example, a fill tube may fit into theinflation port 82 or may be integrally formed by thesheets inflation port 82. Prior to or after inflating theinterior cavity 22 inblock 228, excess material of thesheets peripheral bond 20 can be trimmed. Gas, such as air, can be dispensed from a pressurized source or pumped into theinterior cavity 22 through theinflation port 82 from a pressurized source. In some embodiments, theinterior cavity 22 is not inflated, but instead simply retains gas at atmospheric pressure. - The
interior cavity 22 is sealed inblock 230. In the embodiment shown, this may be accomplished by sealing theinflation port 82, such as by thermally bonding thesheets inflation port 82, adhering thesheets inflation port 82, or plugging theinflation port 82. InFIG. 1 , thesheets inflation port 82 is sealed. Thecushioning article 10 is completely manufactured onceblock 230 is completed, and is ready to be assembled in the article offootwear 14. If theinterior cavity 22 is inflated to a sufficient pressure, the plurality oftethers 36 are tensioned, creating thegrooves 52 in theouter surface 49 of thefirst polymeric sheet 16 at the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50, thereby articulating thecushioning article 10 as discussed with respect toFIG. 6 , with thegrooves 52 establishing flexion axes. - The
method 210 may be used to manufacture thecushioning article 110 having bonds with a symmetrical configuration. In such an embodiment, the method 200 may include block 232, securing the cushioning article 110 (denoted as cushioningarticle 110A inFIG. 18B ) to a firstsole structure 12R configured for a right foot with the axis ofsymmetry 115 of thecushioning article 110A rotated at afirst angle 117B clockwise (or counterclockwise) relative to a longitudinal axis LA of the first sole structure. Themethod 210 may also includeblock 234, securing asecond cushioning article 110B configured identically to thecushioning article 110A (and as described herein with respect to cushioning article 110) to a secondsole structure 12L configured for a left foot with the axis ofsymmetry 115 of thesecond cushioning article 110B rotated at thefirst angle 117A counterclockwise (or clockwise if thecushioning article 110A of the firstsole structure 12R is rotated counterclockwise) relative to a longitudinal axis LA of the secondsole structure 12L as shown inFIG. 18A . With the configuration shown inFIGS. 18A and 18B , thecushioning article 110A will articulate along axes A1 and A2, and thecushioning article 110B will articulate along axes A3 and A4, both cushioningarticles sole structures - It should be appreciated that, although in
FIGS. 10-11 the mold component having theprotrusions 51 that create the inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 is amold insert 53, either or both of themold portions same mold portions FIG. 12 shows a mold portion 66AA for a cushioning article for a full length sole structure. The mold portion 66AA may be used in a mold similar tomold 66 in the same position asmold portion 66A. The mold portion 66AA has arecess 75A similar to recess 75 at which a mold insert may be secured with fasteners extending intoopenings 74 similar tomold insert 53.FIG. 13 shows afirst mold insert 53A that has a first pattern ofprotrusions 51. Thefirst mold insert 53A is secured to the mold portion 66AA within therecess 75A. When the mold portion 66AA andfirst mold insert 53A are used in a mold according toblocks 212 to 230 of the method ofmanufacturing 210, a cushioning article that is a full length sole component with a first bond pattern (i.e., a bond pattern produced by the pattern ofprotrusions 51 of themold insert 53A) will be manufactured according to themethod 210. -
FIG. 14 shows asecond mold insert 53B with a second pattern ofprotrusions 51. Theprotrusions 51 of thesecond mold insert 53B are shaped or dimensioned differently than theprotrusions 51 of thefirst mold insert 53A such that the second pattern ofprotrusions 51 is different than the first pattern of protrusions. After manufacturing the cushioning article having a first bond pattern (i.e., a first pattern of inwardly-protruding bonds corresponding to the first pattern of protrusions of thefirst mold insert 53A), themethod 210 may include block 236, removing thefirst mold insert 53A from themold cavity 68. Then, inblock 238, thesecond mold insert 53B may be secured to the mold portion 66AA, usingfasteners 72 extending throughopenings mold insert 53A. With thesecond mold insert 53B now disposed in themold cavity 68, blocks 212 to 230 of themethod 210 can now be repeated to manufacture a second cushioning article that is a full length sole component having a different bond pattern than the first full length sole component produced usingmold insert 53A, the different bond pattern being a pattern of inwardly-protrudingbonds 50 as described herein, but corresponding to the different pattern of protrusions of thesecond mold insert 53B. For example, in repeatingblocks 212 to 230, block 216 is repeated by disposing a subsequent first polymeric sheet, a subsequent second polymeric sheet, and a subsequent tensile component in themold cavity 68 with the subsequent tensile component between the subsequent first polymeric sheet and the subsequent second polymeric sheet.Block 218 is repeated by conforming the subsequent first polymeric sheet and the subsequent second polymeric sheet to thesecond mold insert 53B and to another one of the mold components (e.g., a mold component similar tomold component 66B), respectively, the conforming depressing the subsequent first polymeric sheet toward the subsequent second polymeric sheet at the second protrusion 51 (i.e., at one of theprotrusions 51 of thesecond mold portion 53B), with the second protrusion directly outward of the subsequent tensile component. For example, block 220 is repeated, thermally bonding the first tensile layer of the subsequent tensile component to the subsequent first polymeric sheet and the second tensile layer of the subsequent tensile component to the subsequent second polymeric sheet to produce a second inwardly-protruding bond at the second protrusion partially traversing the subsequent tensile component, the same mold portions and mold cavity thus providing a second cushioning article with a different bond pattern than the first cushioning article due to thesecond mold insert 53B, and simply by removing thefirst mold insert 53A and replacing it with thesecond mold insert 53B. - To assist and clarify the description of various embodiments, various terms are defined herein. Unless otherwise indicated, the following definitions apply throughout this specification (including the claims). Additionally, all references referred to are incorporated herein in their entirety.
- An “article of footwear”, a “footwear article of manufacture”, and “footwear” may be considered to be both a machine and a manufacture. Assembled, ready to wear footwear articles (e.g., shoes, sandals, boots, etc.), as well as discrete components of footwear articles (such as a midsole, an outsole, an upper component, etc.) prior to final assembly into ready to wear footwear articles, are considered and alternatively referred to herein in either the singular or plural as “article(s) of footwear” or “footwear”.
- “A”, “an”, “the”, “at least one”, and “one or more” are used interchangeably to indicate that at least one of the items is present. A plurality of such items may be present unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All numerical values of parameters (e.g., of quantities or conditions) in this specification, unless otherwise indicated expressly or clearly in view of the context, including the appended claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about” whether or not “about” actually appears before the numerical value. “About” indicates that the stated numerical value allows some slight imprecision (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If the imprecision provided by “about” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring and using such parameters. As used in the description and the accompanying claims, unless stated otherwise, a value is considered to be “approximately” equal to a stated value if it is neither more than 5 percent greater than nor more than 5 percent less than the stated value. In addition, a disclosure of a range is to be understood as specifically disclosing all values and further divided ranges within the range.
- The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, or components. Orders of steps, processes, and operations may be altered when possible, and additional or alternative steps may be employed. As used in this specification, the term “or” includes any one and all combinations of the associated listed items. The term “any of” is understood to include any possible combination of referenced items, including “any one of” the referenced items. The term “any of” is understood to include any possible combination of referenced claims of the appended claims, including “any one of” the referenced claims.
- For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives may be employed throughout this detailed description corresponding to the illustrated embodiments. Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that terms such as “above”, “below”, “upward”, “downward”, “top”, “bottom”, etc., may be used descriptively relative to the figures, without representing limitations on the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims.
- The term “longitudinal” refers to a direction extending a length of a component. For example, a longitudinal direction of an article of footwear extends between a forefoot region and a heel region of the article of footwear. The term “forward” or “anterior” is used to refer to the general direction from a heel region toward a forefoot region, and the term “rearward” or “posterior” is used to refer to the opposite direction, i.e., the direction from the forefoot region toward the heel region. In some cases, a component may be identified with a longitudinal axis as well as a forward and rearward longitudinal direction along that axis. The longitudinal direction or axis may also be referred to as an anterior-posterior direction or axis.
- The term “transverse” refers to a direction extending a width of a component. For example, a transverse direction of an article of footwear extends between a lateral side and a medial side of the article of footwear. The transverse direction or axis may also be referred to as a lateral direction or axis or a mediolateral direction or axis.
- The term “vertical” refers to a direction generally perpendicular to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. For example, in cases where a sole structure is planted flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of a sole structure. The term “upward” or “upwards” refers to the vertical direction pointing towards a top of the component, which may include an instep, a fastening region and/or a throat of an upper. The term “downward” or “downwards” refers to the vertical direction pointing opposite the upwards direction, toward the bottom of a component and may generally point towards the bottom of a sole structure of an article of footwear.
- The “interior” of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, refers to portions at the space that is occupied by a wearer's foot when the article of footwear is worn. The “inner side” of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented toward the interior of the component or article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. The “outer side” or “exterior” of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented away from the interior of the article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. In some cases, other components may be between the inner side of a component and the interior in the assembled article of footwear. Similarly, other components may be between an outer side of a component and the space external to the assembled article of footwear. Further, the terms “inward” and “inwardly” refer to the direction toward the interior of the component or article of footwear, such as a shoe, and the terms “outward” and “outwardly” refer to the direction toward the exterior of the component or article of footwear, such as the shoe. In addition, the term “proximal” refers to a direction that is nearer a center of a footwear component, or is closer toward a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Likewise, the term “distal” refers to a relative position that is further away from a center of the footwear component or is further from a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Thus, the terms proximal and distal may be understood to provide generally opposing terms to describe relative spatial positions.
- While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.
- While several modes for carrying out the many aspects of the present teachings have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which these teachings relate will recognize various alternative aspects for practicing the present teachings that are within the scope of the appended claims. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and exemplary of the entire range of alternative embodiments that an ordinarily skilled artisan would recognize as implied by, structurally and/or functionally equivalent to, or otherwise rendered obvious based upon the included content, and not as limited solely to those explicitly depicted and/or described embodiments.
Claims (18)
1. An article of footwear comprising:
a cushioning article including:
a bladder having a peripheral flange and enclosing an interior cavity and retaining a gas in the interior cavity;
a tensile component disposed in the interior cavity, the tensile component including tensile layers and a plurality of tethers connecting the tensile layers, the tensile layers connected to an inner surface of the bladder such that the tethers span across the interior cavity;
the bladder having inwardly-protruding bonds that join the inner surface of the bladder to the tensile component, protrude inward into the interior cavity, and partially traverse the plurality of tethers such that the bladder is narrowed at the inwardly-protruding bonds and the gas in the interior cavity fluidly communicates across the inwardly-protruding bonds;
the inwardly-protruding bonds including transverse bonds extending from the peripheral flange at a medial side of the bladder to the peripheral flange at a lateral side of the bladder without intersecting one another; the transverse bonds including forward transverse bonds spaced apart from one another and a rear transverse bond disposed rearward of the forward transverse bonds, adjacent ones of the forward transverse bonds being spaced closer to one another than a spacing between a rearmost one of the forward transverse bonds and the rear transverse bond.
2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the forward transverse bonds include three forward transverse bonds.
3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the transverse bonds include only four transverse bonds.
4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the inwardly-protruding bonds further include two longitudinal bonds extending from the peripheral flange at a forward end of the bladder to the peripheral flange at a rear end of the bladder; the two longitudinal bonds intersecting each of the transverse bonds without intersecting one another.
5. The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein the two longitudinal bonds are the only longitudinal bonds extending from the peripheral flange at the forward end of the bladder to the peripheral flange at the rear end of the bladder.
6. The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein the inwardly-protruding bonds further include diagonal bonds extending rearward and transversely outward from intersections of the rearmost one of the forward transverse bonds and the longitudinal bonds to the peripheral flange.
7. The article of footwear of claim 6 , wherein the inwardly-protruding bonds further include additional diagonal bonds extending forward and transversely outward from intersections of the rear transverse bond and the longitudinal bonds to the peripheral flange.
8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the diagonal bonds meet the additional diagonal bonds at the peripheral flange.
9. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the inwardly-protruding bonds further include a rearmost diagonal bond extending rearward from one of the intersections of the rear transverse bond and one of the longitudinal bonds to the peripheral flange.
10. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the inwardly-protruding bonds are non-symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the cushioning article.
11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein an outer perimeter of the bladder at the peripheral flange is nonsymmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the cushioning article.
12. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the cushioning article extends only in a forefoot region of the article of footwear.
13. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the transverse bonds establish flexion axes at which the cushioning article articulates.
14. The article of footwear of claim 13 , wherein the flexion axes are aligned with metatarsal-phalangeal joints of a foot for which the article of footwear is configured.
15. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein, when an inflation pressure of the gas in the interior cavity is sufficient to tension the plurality of tethers, the inwardly-protruding bonds define grooves at an outer surface of the bladder.
16. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the bladder comprises a first polymeric sheet and a second polymeric sheet bonded to one another at the peripheral flange and enclosing the interior cavity;
wherein the tensile layers include a first tensile layer connected to the first polymeric sheet and a second tensile layer connected to the second polymeric sheet; and
wherein the inwardly-protruding bonds are spaced apart from the second polymeric sheet, the second polymeric sheet not including any of the inwardly-protruding bonds.
17. The article of footwear of claim 16 , wherein the second polymeric sheet is recessed inward toward the inwardly-protruding bonds when the interior cavity is inflated.
18. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the article of footwear has a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, and the article of footwear further comprising:
a sole layer extending in the forefoot region, in the midfoot region, and in the heel region of the article of footwear; and
wherein the bladder is secured to the sole layer and extends only in the forefoot region of the article of footwear.
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KR20200007967A (en) | 2020-01-22 |
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